The Land Rover Defender 

Our car from April 2006 to June 2008

 

With this car we travelled overland to Africa and Asia in 2007/2008. We bought this car, a Land Rover Defender 110, 300 tdi from 1998, from Mirjam and Emiel (www.dutch-courage.net)  who already used it for two years during their travels. The car therefore was completely expedition proof and we did not had to do any rebuilding ourselves.
















While stating this, we have to remark that both the lay out of the car and all the accessories matched our wishes. If this would not be the case we would have built one ourselves.  



Of course, after we bought the car, we first cleaned and reconditioned it thoroughly. We also immediately removed the old letters and decorated the car with our own designs. With its new look the car slowly started to feel like our car. Another thing we immediately replaced were the mattresses of the roof tent. Except from the fact, that after two years of intensive use the mattresses were pretty worn, we also liked to have our own new mattresses. And the extra advantage of replacing the mattresses, we could now buy a better quality that the standard Hannibal mattresses. Finding a good mattress however was more difficult than we expected. There are so many different types of materials that we really had no clue on what to choose. Besides, all suppliers had their own story. After a lot of investigation we ended up at Polyvision, a mattresses factory. They took into account our weight, the thickness of the mattresses, and travel conditions like climate and humidity and they really gave us a good advice.

Whether you rebuilt the car yourself or not, technically it has to be in good condition, before leaving on such a long trip. So, the next step was going to the garage. When we bought the car we had it examined by the dealer, so we knew there were no big issues, however after two years of rough conditions some extra maintenance was no luxury. During this maintenance we not only replaced the standard fluids and filters,

but also a lot of other parts like timing belt, wheel bearings, brakes, gaskets, hoses and bad working door locks were replaced. Some parts were worn others were replaced as precaution. Every time we took the car to the garage, Markus helped the mechanics. When you, just like us, never worked on a car before, the best advice we can give is you is: find a garage where it is allowed and help as much as you can. The mechanics from our garage were patient with us and taught us much about the car. They also gave us valuable advice on replenishing our stock of spare parts. During the preparations we not only worked on the car we also tested it extensively during our test drive to Morocco. On-road, off-road, packing, unpacking, camping and bush camping, everything was tested. After this test drive we made some final adaptations. Then the car was ready for a new adventure....that is almost. Just when we thought we were totally ready, the zipper of our tent cover broke down and it had to be repaired quickly. The company Dreco in Winschoten repaired the cover and mounted a new construction using Velcron. A really wonderful solution. It is not only easier and faster than a zipper; we also have a bit more space within the cover now which makes closing the cover when the all pillows and everything is inside a bit easier.

Kitted out with a rooftop tent and awning the car is like a small moving house.  











The big table can be stored in the roofrack.











Lighted switches for the extra diff locker











On each side of the car, next to the chairs there are connection points for the built in air compressor.














Comfortable Recaro chairs











Nicely built in control panels, gps, reading light, voltage meter and first aid kit (about the feet of the passenger)









On the right, behind the passenger seat we there is a third seat. An easy spot to keeping things. In the wooded case in front of it we keep our fragile Coleman Fuel lamp.












Underneath the third chair there is storage. As this storage space is invisible, it is a very safe spot for keeping important papers or a notebook.








On the other side, behind the driver’s seat, there is a 220 volt converter and a toolbox. Behind the toobox is the fridge and on top of the toolbox some extra storage space.








The toolbox is large enough for all our tools. On the bottom there is the filling opening for the watertank which is situated underneath.













The left locker is our kitchen cupboard. The locker is situated at the side of the awning. So even when it rains we can get to it without getting wet. Underneath the hatch is a light and inside the locker is the tap for purified water. The tap for unpurified water is at the back of the car. On the right side is a second locker. This one is used for storage of spare parts. 




On the inside of the backdoor is our Coleman fuel stove. The grid protecting the window is a good place for storing utensils












The stove has a comfortable height and when the tent is up the spot is dry and lit.
















The table legs are stored inside against the ceiling. Here they are never in the way even if we do not use them for a while. The black pipe in the ceiling is for adapting a hose that can be connected to the heating for warm air inside the rooftop tent.






This is the how the car looks packed. On top of the botom hatches 4 aluminium boxed are stored. Inside these boxes we store our clothes, our electronics and some food. On top of that boards are layed on which we can store our chairs. Just below the ceiling is a lugage net. When, in case of emergency we must sleep inside the car, this net is removed, the chairs are placed on the front seats and the table is place on top of the fridge. This way enough space for sleeping is created. To make it comfortable we use self inflating mats that are stored next to the backdoor. 



By far most hatches are accesible at all times even when the car is packed.










Once on a camping spot we take out the chairs, put the two largest boxes on top of the boards and put the last board on top the the those boxes. This way all boxes are accessible.












...... As well as most hatches underneath.

The space created is a good working space when cooking at the back door.









To prefend things from getting stolen we store everything in the car before we go to bed. To do this we do not have to pack the car. Just leave the boxes where they are and put the chairs in front of them.












For storage of lightweight but bulky stuff we have an aluminium box on top of the roof. In front of it we store our cooking fuel. On the roof there is also a solar panel. On the hood we store our shuffle.

Tip: For everybody who will travel with a Defender: do not economize on shock absorbers, but use the best you can get and definitely bring an original master cilinder for the clutch as a spare. 


Curious about the new adventures of our Land Rover? March 2010 it will leave for Africa for the 4th time. You can follow these adventures on: www.dustroads.nl




            Preparation list Land Rover Defender (including review)



Curious about the car and the interior, take a look at the following pictures. 

Until today we do not regret the fact that we bought a car that was already rebuilt. It saved us an enormous amount of time and we could use the car immediately.